Zahrah Alghamdi, South-western Saudi Arabia, draws on the idea of ‘embodied memory’ and experiments with translating memory and the feeling of place into spatial installations. As a member of the Stream Ecology Group (Department of Aquatic Ecology), she has been accompanying and observing scientists on environmental sampling and field data collections. The artist’s personal experience and observations in this landscape inspired her to respond with her own gestures and develop minimal and poetic sculptural interventions on site.

http://www.zahrahalghamdi.com/

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Muhannad Shono, naturalized Saudi citizen to Syrian parents, addresses themes of displacement, migration and identity throughout his work. He often works with ink and paper, incorporating sculptural, animated and acoustic elements.In the course of his investigations at the microscopic level, Muhannad discovered an organism he claims is full of new ideas, The secret behind his claim were revealed at the exhibition opening on 30.11.17.

http://muhannadshono.com/

The KAUST-Swiss Residency Exchange is a cooperation with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Pro Helvetia and the artists-in-labs program, ICS ZHdK.

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Travelling to Eawag:By Train from Zurich HB:By S-train (S3, S9, S12) to Stettbach. From there about 20 minutes’ walk to Eawag (see map), or by tram No. 12 to “Giessen” or by bus No. 760 to “Empa”.

The special exhibition „Entführungen – Kunst, Wissenschaft und die DNA des Steinbocks“ (Displacements – Art, Science and the DNA of the Ibex) aims to build a bridge between artistic and scientific investigation, based on current ecological and genetic research on the ibex. This iconic animal had been extinct in Switzerland 200 years ago and could only be resettled by the smuggling of animals from Italy. The American artist Edward Monovich and the MA Fine Art students from Zurich University of the Arts discussed with scientists the genetic consequences, the impact of human interventions as well as scientific methodologies and technology, used both in the laboratories and in the field. The exhibited video and sound installations, sculptures and images along with the documentation of the creative processes show the artists‘ views and interpretations of these encounters.

From the studios to the laboratories and back: „Entführungen – Kunst, Wissenschaft und die DNA des Steinbocks“ invites you to take a look inside the shared world of creative robbers and man-made evolution.

The opening of the exhibition is part of the Scientifica 17 - Zurich Science Days program.

Supporting Programme:

Workshop «In the art lab: Insights into the work process of an artist» cancelled!

21 September18.30 - 20.30h«In the art lab: Insights into the work process of an artist» Take a look behind the scenes and explore the exhibition’s development. Together, we will investigate, describe and discuss the art works and the documentation. In the workshop, you will develop your own perspective on artistic research and how artists develop their ideas on the interface of art and science.

2 SeptemberZurich’s Long Night of Museums 19 – 02h

Workshop «extravagant head-dress!» 19 - 01.30hInspired by numerous animals such as the ibex with its impressive horns or the cockatoos with their colourful hoods, guests are invited to create their own extravagant head-dress and to test its visual impact on the catwalk.

Short tours«artists-in-labs» (20 minutes)19h21h23h01h

When art and science meet, what is the outcome? A guided tour through the exhibition with the artist Magda Drozd and the curators Irène Hediger and Lukas Keller. You will receive an exclusive insight about their ideas and inspiration and about the making of the exhibition.

Presentation«Research on the ibex up close» 20h22h24hThe biologist Thomas Grubinger spends the whole summer in the alps collecting data on the ibex. In his presentation, Grubinger will offer a unique insight into the daily challenges, tricks and experiences of a scientist in the field.

16 Novemberfrom 18hExhibition closing event Invitation to celebrate with us the closing of the exhibition and to throw a glimpse into the future because on December 14, 2017, the exhibition will once again open its doors in the National Park in Zernez. The artists, scientists and curators will be present.The exhibition will continue to be open until November 19.

R<CONNECTING SENSES focuses on perception and the relationship of art, science, technology and sensory systems. Oscillating between kinetic mechanics, material collages and poetic acoustics, this selected group of artists share an interest in experimental concepts and transdisciplinary encounters. Thus, this exhibition is turned into a laboratory enriched by discussions and interactions. Artistic practices, aesthetic strategies and situated knowledge are exchanged between the artists and then shared with ISEA participants and exhibition visitors. Visitors are welcomed to challenge the visible and invisible in this show:It is the curators’ aim to collectively generate new ideas and artistic outputs by crossing, blurring and re-connecting the borders of art and science, cultural perspectives and the human senses.For the second time, the artists-in-labs program is present at the ISEA which in 2016 is hosted in Hong Kong. The Co-curators of R<CONNECTING SENSES, Irène Hediger (artists-in-labs program) and Harald Krämer (ISEA 2016 Hong Kong) present artworks and experiments of six artists/ artist groups from East Asia and Europe at Connecting Space Hong Kong.

9pm: Untitled II - a live-performance of mechanical instruments by Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri and Pe LangUntitled II builds on modified membraphones developed by Papalexandri-Alexandri as main instruments utilizing Lang’s motor-activated devices. The work creates and explores a soundscape of mechanical-produced long sustained sounds and textures with organic character and without any post-processing.

9 30pm: Shooting Moments - an art experiment on perception by Nicole Ottiger. We invite all visitors to participate!The artist invites curious volunteers to put their own perception skills to test in this art experiment – to sample a selected art image being flashed at the edge of eyesight, to the right or left visual field only and to paint/ draw what they perceived after a single visual exposure (up to 4 exposures allowed). Your paintings will become part of the running exhibition.

The artists and curators are present throughout the opening

Drinks and snacks offered by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Hong Kong

Thursday, 19 May4pm – 9pm

Making of…: presentations and artists talk (4pm - 6pm)Shooting moments – an art experiment by Nicole Ottiger: the artist invites curious volunteers to put their own perception skills to test in this art experiment – to sample a selected art image being flashed at the edge of eyesight, to the right or left visual field only and to paint/ draw what they perceived after a single visual exposure (up to 4 exposures allowed) (6pm – 9pm)Sound performance - by Takuma Takahashi: experimental computer music (8 30pm)

Saturday, 21 May10am – 2pm

Breakfast and Breakdown: closing of exhibition and artists laboratory. During the closing event, dismantling of R<CONNECTING SENSES starts.

The artists are presentThe Brunch is offered to visitors and participants

A collaboration project between the ICS/ZHdK artists-in-labs program and Museum Haus Konstruktiv, curated by Sabine Schaschl and Irène Hediger. Opening: 4th of February 2015 at the Museum Haus Konstruktiv

The group-exhibition "Quantum of Disorder" and its supporting program are a result of the eponymous collaboration project between the ICS/ZHdK artists-in-labs program and Museum Haus Konstruktiv. Established ordering systems and design systems, the definition of algorithms and parameters, with which certain forms are generated or functions are activated, mathematical calculations, and scientific deductions all serve as a basis for constructivist-concrete art, and for the artists exhibited. Here, the incorporation of disorder and deviation is an essential and (to equal extent) inter-linking element.

The exhibition presents a number of artists, and groups of artists, who create their works by means of new technologies and programming engendered by the interplay between order and disorder, system and deviation.This collaboration project does not put forth any hypothesis, and it is not intended to convey any fining. Instead, it is to be seen as an experiment, in which issues pertaining to art encounter the process and achievements of the natural sciences. Principles of oder emerge as a common denominator, providing the basis for both artistic and scientific practice. The exhibition presents nine artists, or artists' groups, who offer an insight into various possibilities regarding algorithmic and systematic applications. Here, the spectrum ranges from computer-controlled plotter images to kinetic installations where one geometric form is transformed into another, through to computer-generated all-over image that call our spatial perception into question, or to video recordings, in which invisible magnetic rays in a research laboratory are made visible.

The comprehensive supporting program, developed in cooperation with ETH Zurich and the University of Geneva, brings various disciplines together within talks, panel discussions, lectures and presentations pertaining to particle physics and cutting-edge robotics research, thus enabling an active exchange of knowledge. The publication "Quantum of Disorder" was released during the exhibition and features artist interviews and texts by various authors as well as comprehensive images of the installations in the exhibition.

A cooperation project with:

The collaboration project "Quantum of Disorder" is supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia as part of its "Digital Culture" initiative.

The touring exhibition Think Art – Act Science displays the artwork of the twelve Swiss artists-in-labs program award winner 2007 to 2009 as well as the four Sino-Swiss Recidency Exchange award winners 2009.

The exhibition is a selection of eight works which are shown from a total of twenty-four artists who have participated in the Swiss artists-in-labs program since 2007. Two of these works were realised during the Sino-Swiss Residency Exchange between artists and scientists in Switzerland and China in 2009/10.

22nd September - 12th November | San Francisco Art InstituteOpening: 21st September 2011 at 5.30 pmwith a sound performance by Alexandre Joly.

Two artists each from Switzerland and China respectively explored and learnt about scientific environmental issues in renowned research institutes in their host countries during their 5 months residency. Whilst the resulting artworks accentuated the boundaries between art and science as well as China and Switzerland, they also helped to blur these differences. During their residencies the artists didn’t just learn about scientific processes, but were also exposed to subjects such as identity, culture, society or communication. This leaded to the development of works which were influenced in their own way by culturally specific attributes.

“山水 SHANSHUI – BOTH WAYS“19th of november – 03th of december 2010 Stadtgalerie at PROGR, Bern.

From November 10th to November 19th 2010, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and Swiss artists-in-labs program presented QUARC Quantum Art Cloud a light sculpture by Christian Gonzenbach at the premises of the SNF in Bern.

Christian Gonzenbach participated at the Swiss artists-in-labs program in 2009. During nine months he dealt with particular physics at the University of Geneva/CERN. While physicists are trying to explain the Universe with mathematical models, Gonzenbach tries to do so with experiments that he developed and conducted during his residency using objects of our everyday life. One of his resulting artworks has been adapted especially for this exhibition. QUARC Quantum Art Cloud is an installation with light tubes which are switched on and off by a random generator.

An exhibition of media art works selected from the Swiss artists-in-labs Residency Exchange funded by the Ministry of Culture in Switzerland. Seven media artists re-interpret and question research about Artificial Intelligence, engineering, environmental science, human disease and biotechnology. Lucid Fields is about the hidden and factual fields: a ‘reality jam’ that exists in science today between ‘truths’ rather than between fictions. Through media art interpretation the artists question how empirical knowledge is situated and highlight the discourses surrounding "truth" in relation to technical progress in our information society. These artists use technology as a method to explore the potential for communication and combine art with scientific research in a clear way for the viewer, raising awareness of issues crucial to the future of society such as machine/human extensions, surveillance, control, energy, relativity, human eye disease and genetically modified agriculture. Lucid Fields accentuates the role of place, community and culture in relation to scientific ‘facts’.

Curated by Irène Hediger, a curator who is currently Co-Director of the Swiss artists-in-labs program at the Institute for Cultural Studies in the Arts, University of the Arts, Zurich.